149,000 t
“ugly” fruits and vegetables
incorporated between 2015 and 2024
As a food retailer, we understand that providing fresh food with the quality our customers seek and deserve requires extra care, since we carry products that are highly sensitive to temperature, expiry dates and handling methods. We believe that the best strategy to tackle food waste requires the engagement of all elements of the value chain, from primary production and suppliers to employees, consumers and the communities surrounding our stores.
To this end, we focus on efficient food management, using ugly fruit and vegetables, and donating surplus food. Other measures include a clear communication on the products labels, so that consumers can quickly see both the expiry dates and the time limits for consumption after opening, and the sale of food products that are close to their expiry date at a discount.
149,000 t
“ugly” fruits and vegetables
incorporated between 2015 and 2024
23,262 t
food
donated in 2025
The surplus food that can no longer be sold, but which meets food safety standards, are donated to social institutions that have a deep understanding of local needs and are close to the most vulnerable communities. This initiative is in place across all companies within our Group and assures that food reaches people in situations of social and economic vulnerability.
Instead of just being left to rot in fields, we also purchase “ugly” fruit and vegetables that have exactly the same nutritional profile as the “pretty” ones. Most are used to make our soups in Portugal and Poland or transformed into convenient food solutions, such as pre-cut and washed vegetables ready for consumption.
Discover more about our sustainability performance and how we fight food waste on our Annual Report website.
No time to waste
We must act quickly and efficiently to prevent food waste, while meeting our customers’ preferences and ensuring that surplus food reaches people in need.
Feeding neighbourhoods
Food donations from Pingo Doce stores grew by 68% in 2025, reaching 12 thousand tonnes. The “Alimenta o Bairro” (Feed the Neighbourhood) programme, launched in 2024, tackles hunger in local communities while reducing food waste.
The impact of markdown
Markdown promotes the sale, at reduced prices, of products that are close to their expiry date. In 2025 it reached more than a thousand of our stores and, since 2019, has helped prevent the waste of 51 thousand tonnes.
Biedronka’s social impact
Biedronka donated more than 10 thousand tonnes of food in 2025, benefiting 144 organisations – notably the Polish Federation of Food Banks, which received almost half of the donations. Despite Biedronka’s expansion, donations decreased due to the success of markdown and collaboration with platforms that sell surplus food at reduced prices.
We were the first retailer in Portugal to calculate and publicly disclose our food waste footprint, in line with the methodology of the World Resources Institute’s Food Loss and Waste Protocol.
